O’Toole eager to resolve contract situation with Cobblers

Cobblers midfielder John-Joe O’Toole remains hopeful his contract situation will be resolved before his current deal runs out at the end of the season.
John-Joe O'Toole was back to near his best during Saturday's win over Crewe. Picture: Kirsty EdmondsJohn-Joe O'Toole was back to near his best during Saturday's win over Crewe. Picture: Kirsty Edmonds
John-Joe O'Toole was back to near his best during Saturday's win over Crewe. Picture: Kirsty Edmonds

The 30-year-old joined Northampton from Bristol Rovers in 2014 and then signed a two-year deal in April 2017, but he will be a free agent this coming summer should he not be able to agree a new contract over the next couple of months.

After a slow start to his Cobblers career, O’Toole has become a firm favourite among supporters having played a starring role during Town’s title success in 2015/16 before also impressing in the following two campaigns.

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O’Toole has scored 35 goals in 188 appearances for Northampton, but he’s enduring more of a stop-start, injury-plagued season at present, netting only three times in 28 games.

Nonetheless, fans will be keen to see him put pen to paper for at least one more season, and it seems the man himself also wants to extend his stay into a sixth year at the PTS.

“I think you’re always playing for your next contract, no matter how young or old you are,” said O’Toole, who’s the joint longest-serving player at the club alongside David Buchanan.

“But I just want to do as well as I can and getting on the end of one on Saturday was a big lift for me because I know I have a goal in me.

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“Hopefully we’ll sort it out. I want to work something out. Kelv (chairman Kelvin Thomas), where are you?! Hopefully we can all work something out. We’ll have to wait and see.”

O’Toole was back to somewhere near his best at Crewe Alexandra on Saturday, scoring an exquisite volley to double the lead as Town ran out 2-0 winners, their fifth game in a row without a defeat.

“For me, personally, I haven’t scored enough this season and that’s something I’m working on day in, day out and hopefully more goals will come,” he added.

“I thought we were brilliant in the game and we did what we needed to. We got ourselves in front and held on at the end and it was just a good all-round team performance.”